CV 1116 
.U5 N55 
1916 
Copy 1 



LAWS AND RULES 



CV 1116 
.U5 N55 
1916 

Copy 1 FOR THE 



GOVERNMENT OF 
BOXING 



IN THE 



STATE OF NEW YORK * * f ^ 



ADOPTED BY THE NEW YORK STATE 

ATHLETIC COMMISSION 

JANUARY, 1916 



I 



ALBANY 

J. B. LYON COMPANY. PRINTERS 

1916 



NEW YORK STATE ATHLETIC 
COMMISSION 



ALBANY OFFICE 



Room 6, Delaware & Hudson Building, 
North Pearl Street and Maiden Lane 



NEW YORK CITY 



41 Park Row. Tel. 3405 Cortlandt 



COMMISSIONERS 



FRED A. WENCK, Chairman. New York City 
FRANK DWYER, Geneva 

JOHN FRANEY, Albany 



WILLIAM F. MATHEWSON, Secretary 
New York City 

D, Of D. 
JUL 18 1916 



GVi\t 



LAWS OF NEW YORK.— By Authority. 

Chap. 779. 

An act establishing a state athletic commis- 
sion and regulating boxing and sparring in 
the state of New York. 

Became a law July 25, 191 1, with the approval 
of the Governor. Passed, three-fifths being 
present. 

The People of the State of New York, 
represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact 
as follows: 

Section i. There shall hereafter be a state 
athletic commission. Within thirty days after 
this act takes effect the governor shall appoint 
three persons, at least two of whom shall re- 
side within the territory embraced within the 
first and second judicial districts, to be mem- 
bers of such commission, who shall hold office 
for the term of five years from the first day 
of January following the date of their appoint- 
ment. The governor shall also appoint their 
successors, possessing like qualifications, on 
the first day of January of each successive 
fifth year, beginning with the year nineteen 
hundred and eleven. The commission shall 
maintain general offices for the transaction 
of its business. The members of the com- 



mission shall, at their first meeting after their 
appointment, elect one of their number chair- 
man of the commission, shall adopt a seal for 
the commission and may make such rules for 
the administration of their office, not incon- 
sistent herewith, as they may deem expedient; 
and they may hereafter amend or abrogate 
such rules. Two of the members of the com- 
mission shall constitute a quorum to do busi- 
ness; and the concurrence of at least two 
commissioners shall be necessary to render 
a choice or decision by the commission. 

§ 2. The commission shall appoint, and 
at pleasure remove, a secretary to the com- 
mission, whose- duty it shall be to keep a 
full and true record of all its proceedings, 
preserve at its general office all its books, 
documents and papers, prepare for service 
such notices and other papers as may be re- 
quired of him by the commission and to per- 
form such other duties as the commission 
may prescribe; and he may, under direction 
of the commission, issue subpoenas for the 
attendance of witnesses before the commis- 
sion with the same effect as if they were 
issued in an action in the supreme court and 
may, under direction of the commission, ad- 
minister oaths in all matters pertaining to the 
duties of his office or connected with the ad- 
ministration of the affairs of the commission. 
Disobedience of such a subpoena and false 
swearing before such secretary shall be at- 
tended by the same consequences and be sub- 
ject to the same penalties as if such dis- 



obedience or false swearing occurred in an 
action in the supreme court. The necessary 
traveling and other necessary expenses of the 
members of the commission, which, including 
the salary of the secretary, shall not exceed 
the sum of iive thousand dollars per year, 
shall be paid monthly by the state treasurer 
on the warrant of the state comptroller out 
of the proceeds of the tax to be collected as 
herein provided. The commission shall an- 
nually make to the legislature a full report of 
its proceedings for the year ending with the 
first day of the preceding December and may 
submit, with such report, such recommenda- 
tions pertaining to its affairs as to it shall 
seem desirable. 

§ 3. The commission shall have, and hereby 
is vested with, the sole direction, management, 
and control of and jurisdiction over all box- 
ing and sparring matches and exhibitions to 
be conducted, held or given within the state 
by any club, corporation or association; and 
no boxing or sparring match or exhibition 
shall be conducted, held or given within the 
state except pursuant to its authority and in 
accordance with the provisions of this act. 
The commission may, in its discretion issue, 
and at its pleasure revoke, a license to con- 
duct, hold, or give boxing and sparring 
matches and exhibitions to any club, cor- 
poration or association which shall at the 
time application therefor be made own or 
hold a lease for at least one year upon the 
building wherein it may be proposed to con- 



duct, hold or give such boxing or sparring 
match or exhibition and which, if it be an 
amateur athletic association, may be incor- 
porated or organized in accordance with the 
rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of the 
United States. Every license shall be sub- 
ject to such rules and regulations, and amend- 
ments thereof, as the commission may pre- 
scribe. Every application for a license, as 
herein provided for shall be in writing and 
shall be addressed to the commission and 
shall be verified by some officer of the club, 
corporation or association on whose behalf 
the application may be made. It shall con- 
tain a recital of such facts as, under the pro- 
visions hereof, will show the applicant en- 
titled to receive a license and, in addition 
thereto, such other facts and recitals as the 
commission may by rule require to be shown. 

§ 4. Where a license granted under this act 
has been canceled or revoked by an order of 
the commission, the club, corporation or asso- 
ciation in whom the license has been held is 
hereby given the right to review the determina- 
tion of the commission, as provided in chapter 
sixteen, title two, article seven of the code 
of civil procedure. The writ of certiorari al- 
lowed under this section shall be taken out 
within thirty days after the order of the com- 
mission has been served on the club, corpora- 
tion or association. 

§ 5. All buildings or structures used, or in- 
tended to be used, for the purpose of this act 
shall be properly ventilated and provided with 



fire exits and fire escapes, if there need be, 
and in all manner conform to the laws, ordin- 
ances and regulations pertaining to buildings 
in the city, town or village where situated. 
Where a part of a building or structure is 
used for the purposes set forth in this act, 
this section shall apply in the same manner. 

§ 6. No boxing or sparring match or ex- 
hibition shall be of more than ten rounds in 
length; and the contestants shall wear, dur- 
ing such contests, gloves weighing at least 
eight ounces. 

§ 7. Any club, corporation or association 
which may conduct, hold or give, or participate 
in, any sham or fake boxing or sparring match 
or exhibition shall thereby forfeit its license 
issued in accordance with the provisions of 
this act, which shall thereupon be, by the com- 
mission, canceled and declared void; and it 
shall not thereafter be entitled to receive an- 
other such or any license pursuant to the 
provisions of this act. 

§ 8. Any contestant who shall participate in 
any sham or fake boxing or sparring match 
or exhibition shall be penalized in the follow- 
ing manner: for the first offense, he shall be 
restrained for a period of six months, such 
period to begin immediately after the occur- 
rence of such offense, from participating in 
any boxing competition to be held or given 
by any club, corporation or association duly 
licensed to give or hold such boxing or spar- 
ringMnatch or exhibition ; for a second offense 
he shall be totally disqualified from further 



admission or participation in any boxing con- 
test held or given by any club, corporation or 
association duly licensed for said purposes. 

§ 9. Every club, corporation or association 
which may hold or exercise any of the privi- 
leges conferred by this act shall, within twenty- 
four hours after the determination of every 
contest, furnish to the commission a written 
report, duly verified by one of its officers, 
showing the number of tickets sold for such 
contest and the amount of the gross proceeds 
thereof, and such other matters as the com- 
mission may prescribe, and shall also within 
the said time pay to the state comptroller a 
tax of five per centum of its total gross re- 
ceipts from the sale of tickets of admission 
to such boxing or sparring match or ex- 
hibition, which tax, after the payment there- 
from of the expenses of the commission and 
the salary of the secretary to the commission, 
as herein provided, shall be apportioned to 
the objects and purposes of and in accordance 
with the provisions of chapter eight hun- 
dred and twenty of the laws of eighteen hun- 
dred and ninety-five and the acts amendatory 
thereof. Before any license shall be granted 
to any club, corporation or association to 
conduct, hold or give any boxing or sparring 
match or exhibition such applicant therefor 
shall execute and file with the state comp- 
troller a bond in the sum of ten thousand dol- 
lars to be approved as to form, and the suffi- 
ciency of the sureties thereon, by the state 
comptroller, conditioned for the payment of 

8 



the tax hereby imposed. Upon the filing and 
approval of such bond the state comptroller 
shall issue to such applicant for such license 
a certificate of such filing and approval, v^hich 
shall be by such applicant filed in the office 
of the commission with its application for 
such license; and no such license shall be 
issued until such certificate shall be so filed. 
§ lo. Whenever any such club, corporation 
or association shall fail to make a report of 
any contest at the time prescribed by this act 
or whenever such report is unsatisfactory to 
the state comptroller he may examine or cause 
to be examined the books and records of such 
club, corporation or association, and subpoena 
and examine under oath its officers and other 
persons as witnesses for the purpose of deter- 
mining the total amount of its gross receipts 
for any contest and the amount of tax due 
pursuant to the provisions of this act, which 
tax he may upon and as the result of such 
examination fix and determine. In case of the 
default in the payment of any tax so ascer- 
tained to be due, together with the expenses 
incurred in making such examination, for a 
period of twenty days after notice to such 
delinquent club, corporation or association of 
the amount at which the same may be fixed 
by the state comptroller, such delinquent shall, 
ipso facto, forfeit its license and shall be 
thereby disqualified from receiving any new 
license or any renewal of license ; and it shall, 
in addition, forfeit to the people of the state 
of New York the sum of five hundred dollars, 



which may be recovered by the attorney- 
general in the name of the people of the state 
of New York in the same manner as other 
penalties are by law recovered. 

§ II. Any person who violates any of the 
provisions of this act, for which a penalty 
is not herein expressly prescribed, shall be 
guilty of a misdemeanor. 

§ 12. The provisions of section seventeen 
hundred and ten of the penal law shall not 
apply to any boxing or sparring match or 
exhibition conducted, held or given by any 
club, corporation or association duly licensed 
pursuant to the provisions of this act. 

§ 13. This act shall take effect immediately. 



LAWS OF NEW YORK.— By Authority. 
Chap. 680. 

An act to amend chapter seven hundred and 
seventy-nine of the laws of nineteen hun- 
dred and eleven, entitled "An act establish- 
ing a state athletic commission and regu- 
lating boxing and sparring in the state of 
New York," generally. 

Became a law May 22, 1915, with the approval 
of the Governor. Passed, three-fifths being 
present. 

The People of the State of New York, 
represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact 
as follows: 

10 



Section i. Sections one, two and nine of 
chapter seven hundred and seventy-nine of 
the laws of nineteen hundred and eleven, en- 
titled "An act establishing a state athletic com- 
mission and regulating boxing and sparring 
in the state of New York," are hereby 
amended to read, respectively, as follows : 

§ I. The state athletic commission is con- 
tinued. Within thirty days after this section 
as amended takes effect the governor shall 
appoint three persons to be members of such 
commission, who shall hold office for terms 
to expire on January first, nineteen hundred 
and sixteen, January first, nineteen hundred 
and seventeen, and January first, nineteen 
hundred and eighteen, respectively. Their suc- 
cessors shall be appointed for full terms of 
three years and a vacancy occurring in the 
office of a member of such commission, other- 
wise than by expiration of term, shall be 
filled in like manner as an appointment for a 
full term, for the unexpired term. Each mem- 
ber of the commission shall be entitled to 
receive an annual salary of three thousand 
dollars and his actual and necessary traveling 
and other expenses incurred by him in the 
performance of his official duties. The com- 
mission shall maintain general offices at Al- 
bany for the transaction of its business. The 
members of the commission appointed under 
this section as amended shall, at their first 
meeting after their appointment, elect one 
of their number chairman of the commission, 
shall adopt a seal for the commission and may 

II 



make such rules for the administration of 
their office, not inconsistent herewith, as they 
may deem expedient; and they may hereafter 
amend or abrogate such rules. Two of the 
members of the commission shall constitute a 
quorum to do business ; and the concurrence 
of at least two commissioners shall be neces- 
sary to render a choice or decision by the 
commission. 

§ 2. The commission shall appoint, and at 
pleasure remove, a secretary to the commis- 
sion, whose duty it shall be to keep a full 
and true record of all its proceedings, pre- 
serve at its general office all its books, docu- 
ments and papers, prepare for service such 
notices and other papers as may be required 
of him by the commission and to perform 
such other duties as the commission may pre- 
scribe; and he may, under direction of the 
commission, issue subpoenas for the atten- 
dance of witnesses before the commission with 
the same effect as if they were issued in an 
action in the supreme court and may, under 
direction of the commission, administer oaths 
in all matters pertaining to the duties of his 
office or connected with the administration of 
the affairs of the commission. Disobedience 
of such a subpoena and false swearing before 
such secretary shall be attended by the same 
consequences and be subject to the same 
penalties as if such disobedience or false 
swearing occurred in an. action in the supreme 
court. The secretary of the commission shall 
be entitled to receive an annual salary of 

12 



three thousand dollars. The salaries, neces- 
sary traveling and other necessary expenses 
of the memhers of the commission, and the 
salary of the secretary, shall be paid monthly 
by the state treasurer on the warrant of the 
state comptroller out of the money appro- 
priated therefor. The commission shall an- 
nually make to the legislature a full report 
of its proceedings for the year ending with 
the first day of the preceding December and 
may submit, with such report, such recom- 
mendations pertaining to its affairs as to it 
shall seem desirable. 

§ 9. Every club, corporation or association 
which may hold or exercise any of the privi- 
leges conferred by this act shall, within 
twenty-four hours after the determination of 
every contest, furnish to the commission a 
written report, duly verified by one of its 
officers, showing the number of tickets sold 
for such contest and the amount of the gross 
proceeds thereof, and such other matters as 
the commission may prescribe, and also within 
the said time pay to the state comptroller a 
tax of seven and one-half per centum of its 
total gross receipts from the sale of tickets 
of admission to such boxing or sparring 
match or exhibition, which tax shall be paid 
into the state treasury, and after the appro- 
priation therefrom of the salaries and ex- 
penses of the commission and the salary of 
the secretary to the commission, as herein 
provided, shall be appropriated for and be ap- 
portioned to the objects and purposes of and 

13 



in accordance with the provisions of chapter 
eight hundred and twenty of the laws of 
eighteen hundred and ninety-five and the acts 
amendatory thereof. Before any license shall 
be granted to any club, corporation or associa- 
tion to conduct, hold or give any boxing or 
sparring match or exhibition such applicant 
therefor shall execute and file with the state 
comptroller a bond in the sum of ten thous- 
and dollars to be approved as to form, and the 
sufficiency of the sureties thereon, by the state 
comptrpUer, conditioned for the payment of 
the tax hereby imposed. Upon the filing and 
approval of such bond the state comptroller 
shall issue to such applicant for such license 
a certificate of such filing and approval, which 
shall be by such applicant filed in the office of 
the commission with its application for such 
license; and no such license shall be issued 
until such certificate shall be so filed. 

2. Upon the appointment of members of 
the state athletic commission, pursuant to sec- 
tion one of chapter seven hundred and seventy- 
nine of the laws of nineteen hundred and 
eleven, as amended by this act, the terms of 
office of the members of the state athletic com- 
mission in office when this act takes effect 
shall expire. 

3. This act shall take effect immediately. 



14 



RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE 
GOVERNMENT OF BOXING IN THE 
STATE OF NEW YORK. 
PART I. 

" I. The main office of the New York State 
Athletic Commission shall be located in 
Room 6 of the D. and H. Building, North 
Pearl street and Maiden Lane, Albany, N. Y. ; 
branch office, 41 Park Row, New York City, 
N. Y. ; and a western office, care of Commis- 
sioner Frank Dwyer, Geneva, N. Y. 

"2. Applications for licenses to conduct 
boxing and accompanying documents required 
by the provisions of Chapter 779, of the Laws 
of 191 1 shall be written plainly, and all 
questions appearing on the blank forms of 
application shall be answered fully. Said ap- 
plication shall be signed by the president or 
secretary of the club. Blank forms for these 
applications with be furnished by the Com- 
mission. 

" 3. The license certificate issued by the 
Commission shall be inclosed in a suitable 
wooden or metal frame, in order that the 
whole of said certificate may be seen therein, 
and shall be posted up and at all times dis- 
played in a conspicuous place in the box office 
of the club so licensed. Licenses are not 
transferable. 

"4. All clubs holding licenses shall be held 
absolutely responsible to the Commission for 
all matches or exhibitions held on premises 
of said club. 

15 



" 5. The financial report required by Section 
9 of Chapter 779 of the Laws of 191 1, shall 
be made in duplicate. One report shall be 
transmitted to the Secretary of the Commis- 
sion, and the other report, with the statutory 
tax, shall be transmitted to the State Comp- 
troller. Blank forms of reports shall be 
provided by the Commission. 

"6. No person shall be admitted to a box- 
ing or sparring match or exhibition without 
a ticket, except club employees, and clubs 
must file with the Commission total number 
of employees to be used. Employees must be 
inside before public is admitted. 

"7. All tickets issued to the press shall be 
marked * PRESS ', and shall not exceed five 
per cent of the seating capacity. 

" 8. All complimentary tickets shall be 
marked * COMPLIMENTARY' and shall not 
exceed two per cent of the seating capacity. 

"9. All tickets for boxers and their assist- 
ants shall be marked * BOXER*. No boxers 
retinue shall exceed five, including the boxer 
and manager. 

" 10. All tickets, exclusive of press, boxer 
and complimentary tickets, shall have the price 
and date of show printed plainly thereon, 
shall be consecutively numbered, and shall 
have a coupon attached, which may be held 
by the purchaser thereof. 

" II. All clubs must purchase a separate set 
of tickets for each show and file with the 
Commission a duplicate of the order to the 

16 



printer for said tickets. The printer must 
file with the Commission a duplicate manifest 
of each delivery. 

" 12. The price of tickets shall be printed 
in large type and displayed above all ticket 
sellers* windows, and shall not be varied. 

" 13. Every ticket must be deposited by the 
ticket taker in a locked box, which box shall 
only be opened in the presence of an official 
inspector by an officer of the dub holding the 
license, and such officer shall count the number 
of each class of tickets in such box or boxes, 
and shall also report the number of exchange 
sales and amount received therefor, and the 
report required by Section 9 shall be verified 
by said officer. The official inspector must be 
allowed in all ticket offices upon request and 
may count and examine all unsold tickets. 

" 14. The Commission shall appoint official 
* INSPECTORS ', one or more of whom sfhall 
be assigned to officiate at every show, to see 
that the rules of the Commission are strictly 
observed, and shall immediately mail to the 
Commission the official box office statement 
received by him from the officer of the club 
as required by Rule 13. 

" 15. No intoxicating liquor shall be sold 
in an arena during a show. 

" 16. No boxing club shall be permitted to 
sell tickets through boxers, their managers or 
seconds. 

" 17. No collections, regardless of the pur- 
pose, shall be taken up from spectators at 
boxing exhibitions. 

17 



" i8. No boxer shall use a name in current 
use by another boxer. All boxers competing 
in this State must file their right names, also 
their ring names, with the State Athletic Com- 
mission. 

" 19. Not more than forty (40) rounds of 
boxing shall be scheduled at any one show, 
and every show must contain three four round 
bouts and one six round bout, except shows 
held under the auspices of the Amateur 
Athletic Union. No bout may be started after 
11:15 P. M. 



18 



PART 11. 

" I. The boxing ring shall be constructed 
in a manner satisfactory to the Commission 
and shall not be less than sixteen feet nor 
more than twenty-four feet square. 

"2. The scale of weights shall be: 

Pounds. 

Paperweight 108 

Bantamweight 115 

Featherweight 123 

Lightweight 133 

Welterweight 144 

Middleweight 158 

Commission 175 

Heavy all over 

When boxers agree in their articles to make 
weight for a contest, the weight agreed upon 
must be at least six hours before ring time. 
All contestants must weigh in just before 
entering the ring, in the presence of the 
official inspector, regardless of private agree- 
ment or previous weighing. 

" 3. The chief official of the boxing match 
or exhibition shall be the licensed referee, 
who must have a card from the Commission 
identifying him as such, and no club shall 
employ or permit anyone to act excepting such 
officially licensed referees. 

"4. No decision shall be rendered by the 
referee. A decision may be given in amateur 
tournaments pursuant to the authority and 
jurisdiction of the Amateur Athletic Union. 

19 



" 5- Contestants must box in proper athletic 
costume, including protection cup. 

"6. Contestants may learn the name of the 
official referee of the club before whom they 
are to compete by application to the Secretary 
of the Commission. If said contestants are 
not satisfied with the official referee they 
must notify the Secretary of the Comimission 
in writing forty-eight hours prior to the match 
or exhibition, and in case of failure to do 
so they must submit to the jurisdiction of the 
club referee. 

" 7. All matches or exhibitions in which 
more than two principals appear in the ring 
at tbe same time, commonly called a * battle 
royal ' exhibition, are forbidden, 

"8. All clubs and contestants must enter 
into written contracts, which contracts shall 
be executed in triplicate, each party holding 
one, the third copy to be mailed to the Com- 
mission immediately upon execution. 

** 9. In all matches or exhibitions not more 
than four seconds shall attend or assist a con- 
testant, and the official referee shall enforce 
said rule. 

" 10. There shall be no coaching by the 
seconds or any other person, and the seconds 
must remain seated during contest, and must 
not rise from their seats until the bell an- 
nounces the termination of a round. 

" II. Chief or main match or exhibition 
shall coimmence not later than 10 P. M. The 
club must select from the various contestants 
the chief or main match or exhibition. 



20 



" 12. The kidney punch or blow shall be 
forbidden in all contests. The referee shall 
be sole judge of whether any other blow be 
fair or foul. 

" 13. Only soft cotton or linen bandages 
shall be used, and all bandages shall be subject 
to the approval of the referee. Hard band- 
ages or substances of any kind are prohibited. 

" 14. No person under 18 years of age shall 
be permitted to participate in any contest or 
exhibition. 

"15. Each contestant shall be examined 
prior to entering the ring, by a physician 
who has been licensed to practice in the 
State of New York for not less than five 
years. The physician shall certify in writing, 
over his signature, as to contestant's physical 
condition to engage in such contest. And said 
physician shall be in attendance during con- 
test, prepared to deal with any emergency 
which may arise. Said physician shall file 
said report of examination with the Com- 
mission within a period of twenty-four hours 
after the contest. Blank forms of physician's 
reports may be had at the Commission's office, 
and all questions must be answered in full. 

*' 16. If a main match or exhibitiion is 
stopped by the referee, or by a member of 
the State Athletic Commission, or the Secre- 
tary of the Commission, for an infraction of 
the rules of the Commission or for a violation 
of the provisions of Chapter 779 of the Laws 
of 191 1, or the amendments thereto, the dub 
shall 'hold all box office receipts of said 

21 



match or exhibition for a period of forty- 
eight hours, pending the decision of the 
Commission. 

" 17. No boxer shall be permitted to contest 
against an opponent ten pounds heavier than 
himself in the lightweigiht class or under said 
class. 

" 18. Contests between negroes and white 
persons, otherwise known as mixed bouts, 
are strictly prohibited. 

" 19. Introductions from the ring are limited 
to three individuals other than the contestants 
and referee. 

" 20. Where boxers are working on a guar- 
antee, the State Athletic Commission must be 
assured beyond a doubt as to the responsibility 
of the guarantor, otherwise the Commission 
will demand that the full amount of the guar- 
antee be posted as directed by the Commission, 
not later than 2 P. M., on the day preceding 
the contest. If the contest be on Monday, the 
guarantee must be posted at 11 A. M., on the 
Saturday preceding. Either contestant or the 
club must, immediately notify the Commission, 
when, by any reason, a show or contest is 
declared off. Unless the Commission be so 
notified before 2 P. M., on the day preceding 
the contest, suspension for at least thirty days 
will follow for the club or the party at fault. 
Any boxer causing a cancellation, must FIRST 
fulfill his obligation to that club, or obtain 
a release from the club, before he will be 
permitted to box elsewhere." 



22 



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